Chris Petersen dropped a bombshell Monday afternoon when he announced that he will be stepping down as the head coach of the Washington Huskies after their bowl game. In a day of age where leaks and rumors have become commonplace, this announcement came completely out of nowhere.
Washington's Chris Petersen announces that he'll step down as head coach after the Huskies' bowl game pic.twitter.com/nnSk5I2baK
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 2, 2019
The timing of Chris Petersen's announcement couldn't have possibly come at a more interesting time, at least as far as the Dallas Cowboys are concerned. With the heat currently intensifying around Jason Garrett and his expected departure after the season, Petersen suddenly becomes a favorite to replace him as the Cowboys next head coach.
If Jerry Jones is wanting a seamless as possible transition from Jason Garrett to his next head coach, Chris Petersen makes a ton of sense. He not only has an established track record (146-38) as a head coach, albeit at the collegiate level, but he wouldn't come in and change things too much, if at all, offensively. After all, he did coach Dallas' Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore at Boise State.
Kellen Moore could be the key to Jerry Jones' search for his next head coach. I believe he wants to hang onto KM and allow him to continue to grow and develop the Cowboys offense. He is one of those up-and-coming coaches in the league and reuniting him with Chris Petersen could be a win-win situation for all parties involved.
There's always a catch though. As good as all of this sounds, the reasoning behind Chris Petersen stepping down at Washington could prevent all of this from happening. He says he wants to “step away from head coaching duties and recharge”. That “recharge” apparently involves an administrative role of some sorts.
Source close to #Washington's Chris Petersen tells me he has no health issues or family issues that caused the decision. The season wore on him, and he needs a chance to step away. His new administrative role should focus on leadership development for coaches and others.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) December 2, 2019
I don't know about you, but I'm not completely sold on the idea that Chris Petersen won't be coaching somewhere in 2020. I think he will get the coaching itch once again when the phone starts ringing this offseason with other head-coaching opportunities. A call from the Dallas Cowboys could too good to pass up.
Petersen would not only be taking over one of the more talented teams in the NFL, but he would also be reuniting with Kellen Moore. Those kind of opportunities don't come around too often and it might be too enticing to let slip through his fingers. But, is it enough to make him change his mind about stepping away from coaching?
